For A Few Dollars More

Classic Spaghetti Western, the second part of the 'Dollars' Trilogy, often considered around and about the greatest spaghetti western ever.
So it's Leone/Morricone, and the returning Clint Eastwood, who probably plays the same character as in 'Fistful', though that's not really the point. Morricone is become grander, more symphonic, finding his feet and asserting himself more than earlier. This film is known as having, through it sdirection, changed and introduced a number of elements to the cinematic art. Like many films where this is the case, for viewers now this is rather hidden as following films have acclimatised one to the styles. All the same, from whatever angle taken this is a sharply, excitingly, directed film.
The film is stronger, slower than 'Fistful', with more of a wide horizon, more of a operatic bent (though nowhere near 'Once upon a time in the West'). This is partly through the inclusion of Lee Van Cleef's character, which adds a relational element missing from 'fistful', and adds more ambiguity and complexity to the still always stoical personification of the man-with-no-name.
The plot is a little bit hokey, a little bit holey, but exciting enough, we won't criticise for it being an exciting piece of action. Clint continues to show human weaknesses to go with his mega-cool aura, and Van Cleef introduces a similarly cool role.
The baddy is a very good baddy, nicely complex with his own motif of the evil laugh.
So, this is a fun film to watch, perhaps not a stone-cold classic in that it does seem like a rather standard caper at times. All the same, the horse-riding's great, Clint's great, it's all good fun.